Is Five Days No Pay Punishment Enough for State Police Chief?
Etue sparked controversy for a Facebook post calling NFL players who protest during the national anthem “degenerates.”
Gov. Rick Snyder this week handed down his punishment against State Police Chief Col. Kriste Etue.
Etue sparked controversy for sharing a post on Facebook calling NFL players who protest during the national anthem “degenerates.”
Snyder says Etue will get five days without pay, and she’ll still need to report to work on those days.
This comes amid ongoing calls for Etue’s resignation or removal. On Friday, the liberal group Progress Michigan sent a petition with about 85,000 signatures on it to Gov. Snyder demanding Etue’s removal.
WDET’s Jake Neher and Michigan Public Radio’s Cheyna Roth talk about the punishment and how people are reacting.
Neher says the controversy fits into a much larger national conversation about trust in public institutions.
“This is something that seems to be pervasive in all aspects of our society right now,” says Neher. “When it comes to someone in a position of power, the question of how much people trust that person is really top of mind.”
Roth says Etue’s actions going forward could create a ripple effect across the state.
“Will she be able to rise to the occassion?” Roth asks. “That she can (show) that one meme does not define her or her career and that she can promote diversity and she can promote inclusiveness within the department and that she can get all of her troopers and the communities to trust her?”
“If she isn’t able to do that, there could be larger implications culturally.”
Click on the audio player above to hear the full conversation.
